The question was: How many times have you and Garrett suited up as teammates over the years?

Come on, Nolan ... a rough approximation will do.

"Oh my gosh," he said. "All sports? I couldn't even put a number on that.

"In the hundreds, honestly."

Their latest game together might have taken a little more time to settle, but the result was just the same as so many of those others: They both played a starring role in a memorable -- and an emotional -- victory.

Hill finished as his team's leading receiver, Garrett Markham was the evening's highest-rated passer, and the two longtime friends helped the West outlast the East 15-6 on Saturday in the annual Shrine Game at Baker High School. The 62nd installment of the Oregon classic was delayed numerous times by lightning.

View full sizeMarkham passed for 41 yards and ran for 34 more to help lead the West to 15 second-half points.Photo by JD Humburg

"That's definitely one to remember," Markham said. "In a million years, I never would have thought it would have ended up like that. I mean, the talk all week was that it was going to be 105 degrees, so I was expecting the sun to just be beaming down on us all game long. Instead, it's thunder and lightning and rain.

"But that was a lot of fun. Meeting some of the best athletes from around the state -- being able to bond with them, hang out with them, make new friends, meet new people. It was a blast."

Even surrounded by fellow standouts, the Banks duo managed to stand out on both sides of the ball in Baker City.

Hill made a touchdown-saving tackle, swatted away a fourth-down pass deep in West territory, and had four receptions for 33 yards -- including a leaping, highlight-reel grab along the sideline. He followed with a nifty catch on the opposite sideline to move his team into field goal range late in the second quarter. (The kick missed, and the game was scoreless at the half.)

Markham, named a team captain by his West coaches, contributed several tackles, notched one huge sack and recovered an onside kick with just over a minute to play to seal the win. On a night when defense (and weather) dominated, his 41 yards passing and 34 yards rushing helped lead the West to 15 second-half points.

Oh, by the way, Markham alternated quarterbacking duties with Taylor Loss ... yes, that Taylor Loss. Hill and Markham took turns reporting that the former Scappoose rival is a good guy and, now, a friend.

View full sizeHill had a team-high 33 yards receiving and, like Markham, made a number of big plays on defense.Photo by JD Humburg

Hill and Markham also said that through it all -- the week of practices in 100-degree heat in La Grande, the AC-less dorm rooms at Eastern Oregon University, the idle time in the locker room waiting for the lightning to pass -- they continued to draw inspiration from the kids to whom the game is dedicated. The players toured the Shriners Hospital for Children the previous week, and several of the youngsters made a lasting impression on the humbled athletes.

"That's why we're out here -- just to do it for the kids," Hill said. "It makes you really want to battle through it and put in the effort. They're an incredible inspiration. And just to see the generosity the Shriners have -- it's incredible. ...

"I've been looking into the medical field (for a career) just to help people, and this week honestly put it one step further -- like, this is what I need to do. It was a great experience."

Markham said that even as the delays reached their third hour, none of the players wanted simply to call it a night; the motivation was too great.

"We played for the kids," he said. "Our team manager, Ben, he really wanted us to win. During the delays, he was in the locker room with us, telling us that we need to play and we need to win. We did it for him."

Boomer Fleming, a running back who helped lead Ridgeview to the Class 4A state championship in November, scored both West touchdowns and probably would have garnered MVP honors had such an award been given.

View full sizeMarkham described former Gaston star Jordan Delay (66) as "one of the hardest workers out there."Photo by JD Humburg

The award for the most appropriately named player no doubt would have gone to Jordan Delay, a second team all-state offensive and defensive lineman from Gaston. Hill and Markham were excited to have another representative from the area on hand for the all-star festivities. Gaston is 15 miles south of Banks.

"He's a great guy," Markham said of Delay. "He's kind of a quiet guy, he's humble and he's a really hard worker -- one of the hardest workers out there. He really pushed hard, and every play he played, he did really well."

As for the Banks buddies, Saturday likely marked their last hurrah together on a football field. The key word, of course, is likely.

Hill has been planning to attend Oregon State University to focus on a degree in biology, but he acknowledged the past week has "re-opened some doors to look into" as far as possibly continuing his playing career. "There's plenty of life left, so we'll see," he offered.

Markham leaves next month for a two-year mission trip to El Salvador. He's hoping to play college football when he returns, and several programs have expressed interest in the multisportsuperstar.

"I've been talking to Nolan about it," he said. "Just today I told him, 'Hey, this can't be our last game together! You've gotta come play with me wherever I end up.' I'm trying to convince him."